No, it is not supposed to be painful, but it can be painful depending on who the reflexologist is, what the state of your health is and what techniques the reflexologist uses. Let me explain.
Who the reflexologist is:
It is imperative for you to choose the reflexologist you entrust your feet to very carefully, because some reflexologists believe that the more pain they cause you, the better results they obtain.
I do not agree with this approach at all. If I go for reflexology myself and have to endure a whole hour of pain, it is firstly not enjoyable and secondly will probably the last time I ever want to receive it, because I do not like pain.
There are people offering reflexology treatments that makes it feel like you are being punished for showing up for the appointment due to their belief that they should cause you pain.
This is a clear indication that you should choose your reflexologist very carefully. In South Africa therapeutic reflexologists are trained at one of only three training academies that is recognised by the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA) for formal registration purposes. If the reflexologist you intend to visit is not trained at one of these recognised institutions (visible to the general public on the AHPCSA website), ask yourself why not? If they have not been trained at one of these training institutions, then they are probably not formally registered by the AHPCSA as a therapeutic reflexologist, unless they have been trained abroad. If the reflexologist was trained abroad, it is your duty to ensure that their training has been recognised by the AHPCSA in order for them to be able to formally and legally practice in South Africa.
When considering a reflexologist, consider the following matters carefully:
- Is it a therapeutic reflexologist? In South Africa the term therapeutic reflexologist may only be used by qualified and regulated professionals.
- Is the therapeutic reflexologist trained at one of the recognised South African institutions as visible on the AHPCSA website?
- If the therapeutic reflexologist has been trained abroad, is the training recognised by the AHPCSA?
- Is the therapeutic reflexologist registered with the AHPCSA? To legally practice therapeutic reflexology in South Africa, the therapist has to be registered with the AHPCSA. The AHPCSA is the statutory council regulating the profession so registration with any other organisation is not good enough, it is compulsory to be registered and regulated by the AHPCSA in order to practice therapeutic reflexology in South Africa?
- Does the therapeutic reflexologist have a valid practice number? A practice number is issued to therapeutic reflexologists from the same body that issues practice numbers to medical doctors. Having a practice number is not compulsory to practice (AHPCSA registration is), but if the therapeutic reflexologist holds a valid practice number, it is possible for you to be reimbursed by your medical aid and it offers added credibility as to the skills of the therapist you are about to visit.
- What is the view of the therapeutic reflexologist about the treatment sessions you are about to receive? Training is standardised, but therapeutic reflexology is more than a science, it is also an art and the way the reflexology treatment is performed, is largely based on the skills of the individual therapist.
- What is the therapeutic reflexologist’s view on continuous development?
To answer these questions about myself:
- I am a therapeutic reflexologist.
- I have been trained at the prestigious International Academy of Reflexology and Meridian Therapy (IARAMT) which is recognised by the AHPCSA as a training institution in therapeutic reflexology. I hold their Diploma in Therapeutic Reflexology and graduated Cum Laude.
- I am registered as therapeutic reflexologist with the AHPCSA.
- I hold a valid practice number.
- My view is that therapeutic reflexology is a holistic treatment that is very effective (and I personally experienced its effectiveness in my own life) as modality. Pain is not needed to make the treatment session effective; in some instances, pain is actually preventing healing (this will be discussed later in this post). Therapeutic reflexology is not about inducing pain, but rather the skilful application of the available techniques in such a way that maximum results are achieved for each specific individual.
- I believe in Continues Development Programmes (CPD) and as a registered therapeutic reflexologist with the AHPCSA this is also a requirement in order to reregister annually. Why I believe in CPD is that knowledge in the world is continuously changing and if you are not being kept up to date with the latest research and techniques in your field, you are actually becoming an outdated professional. It is imperative to remember the original techniques, but to enhance it with the contemporary techniques based on the latest research in order to offer each patient or client the best possible therapeutic reflexology treatment.
Taking this into consideration, it is important for you to choose the correct therapeutic reflexologist for you. Always remember that a trained professional will gladly answer all your questions and will not avoid answering questions about training, registration and so forth. For the trained professional, such questions are not offensive, because it is understood that the patient should receive the best possible treatment and it is not possible if there are any uncertainties lingering in the back of their minds.
What if I am unhappy with the treatment?
It does sometimes happen that you do not like the specific therapeutic reflexology treatments you are receiving from a therapeutic reflexologist. It sometimes happens that you just do not like the specific therapeutic reflexologist. There are many reasons for this, but you should always understand that the treatment is about you, not about the reflexologist. It is therefore important for you to be fully comfortable with your therapeutic reflexologist. If you are not happy with me or the treatment you receive from me, I’ll gladly refer you to another therapeutic reflexologist; you should always feel comfortable and be satisfied with the therapeutic reflexology treatments you receive.
What your state of health is:
Your health conditions play a role in whether a therapeutic reflexology session will be painful or not. This may be explained as follows:
Health or illness conditions you are experiencing are often appreciated in your feet; that is what makes therapeutic reflexology so unique and effective. When stimulating one of those sensitive areas, it may be a bit sensitive or it may be sore or it may even be painful. However, this is short-term sensitivity or pain. This can be explained when thinking of your body being sore after extensive exercise. It is painful to move and it is painful to touch the muscles. Sometimes it is necessary to touch those painful muscles like during a massage or physiotherapy session, but the pain is short-term while touching it, but it usually has long-term results and benefits.
Therapeutic reflexology is similar. Sometimes there are certain parts of your foot that may be sensitive or painful to the touch, but it is short-lived and have lasting benefits. It should be noted, though, that this is usually not the entire foot and the entire treatment session that will be painful, but only certain parts of the foot for short periods of time.
Each person is different and therefore it is imperative to speak to the therapeutic reflexologist during the treatment session to ensure the therapist is aware of what areas are painful. It benefits nobody if you keep quiet and clench on your teeth in pain and absolutely hate the session. Telling the therapeutic reflexologist which areas are sensitive or painful, gives the therapist a good indication of your overall state of health, but also provides the opportunity to the therapist to adjust the pressure being applied so you are not in absolute excruciating pain throughout the session.
Always tell your therapeutic reflexologist if you experience any pain during a treatment session.
Is painful reflexology more effective?
No, it is sometimes necessary to apply some pressure on a specific point on the foot that may be painful for a short period of time, but there is no indication that an entirely painful session is more effective.
I want to go so far as to say that if the entire treatment session is painful, then it is actually less effective. When stimulating the various reflexes on the foot, it should be enjoyable in order for endorphins to be released into the blood stream that assists you in feeling good and for your body to heal itself from the inside out. If the entire session is painful, I believe there are less endorphins being released which reduces the effectiveness of the session.
It is also not enjoyable to sit in fear for an entire treatment session dreading when the next pain will arrive.
A far better approach is for the therapeutic reflexologist to get you to enjoy the session and to experience deep relaxation without the fear of experiencing more pain.
This is the approach I use by combining manual therapeutic reflexology done with my hands with the electronic Vacuflex Concepts device done with vacuum. By following this approach, you are ensured of getting the benefits of ancient reflexology combined with the benefits of contemporary reflexology. The approach is to help you relax and although certain areas may be sensitive or painful, it is stimulated in such a way and with good communication with you to ensure you receive the benefits, but within your comfort zone and not overstepping any pain thresholds. The idea is to offer your effective reflexology that is enjoyable while providing health benefits without having you experienced a constant fear pain.
This is only accomplished by a skilled therapeutic reflexologist so always choose your therapeutic reflexologist carefully.
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Christo A. Scheepers: Therapeutic Reflexologist
Dip.T.R.(Cum Laude)[IARAMT]
AHPCSA: A11945
Pr. No.: 1080000737453
Tel. 072-800 7243